Control the Past, Change the Future
by Lois Mars
Summary: Clark and Lois receive a visitor from the future that delivers a warning about Davis Bloome.
1. Chapter 1

**Control the Past, Change the Future**

**Rated:** T

**Pairings:** Lois/Clark, some Chloe/Oliver

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**A/N:** This is my first multi-chapter fic as well as my first Smallville fic, so hopefully I can keep it going.

Ellie drifted out of her subconscious, greeted by the sounds of Metropolis outside her window. She let her eyes open slowly and adjust to the mid morning light. Wiping the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned her head to glance at clock on her bedside table. 9:53. Her parents were at work.

Pulling back the covers, she rolled out of bed and made her way into the kitchen, yawning widely. She opened various drawers and cabinets and prepared a bowl of cereal for herself. Usually her father would have left her some pancakes that she could reheat in the microwave, but he was out on assignment last night and Ellie knew he had probably just gotten home in time to quickly change and head back to work.

It wasn't until she was walking toward the dining table that she noticed the presence of someone in the adjacent room. Placing her breakfast on the table, Ellie cocked her head to the side slightly, curious.

"Mom?" she called out. "Why aren't you at work?"

When the woman made no inclination that she had heard her, Ellie approached the couch. Coming to face her mother, she took in the sight before her. The older woman was sitting completely still, her red, puffy eyes vacant and expressionless. Her tearstained cheeks were pale and her lips formed a tight line. Ellie noticed she had something in her lap, which she was gripping fiercely, causing the skin on her knuckles to be taut and ghostly white.

Ellie knelt down in front of her mother and placed one of her hands lightly on the woman's forearm. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

Her mother remained silent and unphased. Ellie gently pried the object away from the vice of her mother's hands and realized it was their answering machine—with a message on it. She pushed the 'Play' button.

Her aunt's voice suddenly filled the silence of the room.

"_L-Lois, it's Kara. I…it…it's pretty bad…t-there's…we tried…there isn't a-anything that we can d-do. He…we…we weren't f-fast enough. D-Doomsday was t-too strong. I-I'm sorry, Lois. I'm s-so sorry."_

Ellie felt as if her heart had turned to lead and plummeted into her stomach. She had to be dreaming. This wasn't real. Surely her Aunt Kara was not insinuating that her father was…no! Her father wasn't dead. She refused to draw that conclusion. Desperately seeking reason, Ellie stood from her spot on the floor and walked over to the television. She turned on the news.

"… _the aftermath of the battle. As you can see behind me, the destruction is rather devastating. This truly is a heartbreaking day for the people of America. Our beloved savior, Superman, is dead."_

Those last three words seemed to reverberate off of every surface in the apartment. Ellie struggled to choke back her tears. It was a lie. Superman couldn't die; he was invincible—or so she thought.

"…_is Green Arrow, who is part of the Justice League of America, and a witness to the atrocities that occurred here early this morning."_

Ellie saw the camera swing its frame of focus to Oliver. He was wearing his Green Arrow outfit, but he looked disheveled and defeated. Behind him stood Dinah, Bart, AC, Victor, Bruce, Diana, and Kara, all dressed in their superhero garb as well, their expressions and appearances mirroring Oliver's.

"_Superman was valiant, noble, and kind hearted. He always did everything in his power to save the world from destruction; even though he wasn't from our planet, he cared for humanity. He will be greatly missed, and I assure you that the Justice League will not rest until Superman's death is avenged and that monster is destroyed."_

The news anchor began to talk again, but Ellie tuned her out. She was enthralled with the scenes displayed before her: buildings were smashed, roads were turned to rubble, power lines were lying limp and useless, and blood was everywhere. Ellie swallowed the growing lump in her throat as she spotted something in the distance—a torn piece of red fabric.

"Shut it off."

Ellie jumped slightly at the sound of the raspy whisper. She had forgotten her mother was in the room. She turned her head to look at the woman on the couch over her shoulder.

"Mom, I want to see this. I want to see what hap—"

"Shut. It. Off. Now."

Ellie cringed slightly as her mother began to talk through gritted teeth; her rising anger evident. Still, Ellie was relentless, "We need to watch this."

Her eyes were still focused on her mother when she noticed the woman's gaze shift to the television screen as she let out a strangled gasp. Ellie whipped her head back around and was greeted by the sight of her father—bloody and lifeless in his Superman suit.

"Damn it, Ellie!"

Her mother stood up rigidly from the place she had previously been glued to and bolted over to the television, forcing the offending picture to fade to black. She began to sob uncontrollably then; Ellie had never seen her mother so vulnerable. She attempted to comfort the older woman, but was pushed away roughly. She watched her mother's retreating form as she stumbled into her room, slamming the door loudly behind her.

Feeling a knife twist in her stomach, Ellie hastily headed to the confines of her own room. Shutting and locking the door, she fell onto her bed and allowed her tears to flow freely. Her father was dead; her mother wanted nothing to do with her. Suddenly exhausted, Ellie cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So this is the second chapter. I already had this written before i posted chapter one, so I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to update again. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

When she awoke later that night, Ellie felt as if the morning's events had all just been a horrible dream. She stood up from her bed and silently crept out of her room, not bothering to turn on any lights. As she was blindly making her way into the kitchen, she suddenly collided with another figure, resulting in something shattering.

"Shit!"

Ellie ran over to the light switch and illuminated the room. She then returned to her previous spot and bent down to help her mother pick up the shards of what used to be a bottle of vodka. Ellie glanced at the woman's face and noticed her eyes were bloodshot and her complexion was extremely pale. She also reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Concerned, Ellie whispered, "Mom?"

Startled by the sudden sound, Lois looked up and met her daughter's gaze for a second before standing up and disappearing inside her room, a new set of tears streaming down her face.

Ellie sighed and finished cleaning up the mess as her worries for her mother accumulated and settled like a large weight in the pit of her stomach. Running her fingers through her long, raven hair, she sighed again and went out to the apartment's balcony…the balcony her dad would land on after flying around and saving people as Superman. She gripped the rail fiercely as sobs racked her body. What had happened this morning was completely real. Her father would never land on this balcony again; never come home again.

Ellie released the rail and assessed the damage she had caused. It was slightly bent in the places her hands had been. Wiping away her tears, she began trying to make the rail straight again, but to no avail. Frustrated, Ellie screamed and kicked the rail full force, causing it to be even more bent out of shape than before.

Feeling a fresh set of tears forming in her eyes, Ellie sat down on the balcony dejectedly, pulling her knees up to her chest. She felt so alone. "It's not fair," she whispered to herself as she began to rock back and forth slightly. "It's not fair!" she repeated louder, glaring up at the sky.

"Oh sweetie, I know it's not."

Ellie turned her head to look at who had spoken as she felt a gust of wind come in to her left. She stared up at the blonde-haired woman who came and sat beside her, wrapping her arms in a tight hug around Ellie's curled up body. They sat like that in silence for awhile, until the woman released her hold on the girl and asked, "How have you been holding up?"

Ellie wiped her eyes and let out a shaky sigh, "Horribly."

"How's Lois?"

"Even worse." Ellie shut her eyes tight for a few seconds, willing away the tears. "She's drinking…a lot. She won't talk to me; she won't even look at me. She just locks herself in her room. Oh, and she's smoking again."

The older woman placed a comforting hand on Ellie's shoulder, "She needs time."

Ellie couldn't hold her tears back anymore, "No, she needs Dad back! So do I! How could this have happened, Aunt Kara? He's Superman! He's supposed to be invincible!"

Kara shook her head slowly as tears began falling from her own eyes. She looked longingly at the sky before directing her gaze at the trembling girl beside her. She placed her hand under Ellie's chin and lifted her head up, forcing their eyes to lock, "Even Superman has his weaknesses."

"He wasn't killed by Kryptonite. He was killed by some goddamn monster."

Kara nodded, "Doomsday. A monster created by Zod and his wife meant to kill Kal-El and destroy humanity. Your father was the only one strong enough to destroy him."

"But he was obviously unsuccessful," Ellie placed her head in her hands, suddenly getting a headache. "And now there's a monster running around that's going to destroy the world."

"Hopefully, that won't happen. We've already lost one of the greatest heroes this world has known," Kara's voice wavered slightly, "The Justice League will do everything it can to stop Doomsday once and for all."

Ellie looked at her aunt, admiration clearly present in her expression. She wished she could be as strong-willed as her Aunt Kara and take action and avenge her father's death rather than wallow and brood. But she was only half Kryptonian, and her powers were nowhere near being fully developed. She wouldn't be of much assistance to the League.

As if she could sense Ellie's inner turmoil, Kara shifted her position and began to remove a pendant from around her neck. "Here," she placed the chain over Ellie's head so that it hung from her neck.

Ellie looked down at the pendant as she grasped it in her hand. It was the Kryptonian symbol for the House of El…her father's symbol. She looked questioningly at the blonde.

"I've worn that for as long as I can remember so that no matter where he was, Kal-El would be close to my heart. Now I want you to have it," Kara smiled at Ellie.

"Thanks," Ellie smiled weakly, giving her aunt a hug.

Kara became rigid and stood up, a far-off look in her eyes, "I have to go. Doomsday is attacking in Gotham."

Ellie nodded got to her feet, "Bye, Aunt Kara. Be careful."

"Take care of yourself, Ellie," Kara whispered as she began hovering in the air, "Chloe will probably stop by to check on you and your mother tomorrow."

Before Ellie could blink, Kara had shot into the sky and was gone in a blur of red and blue. With one last look at the stars, she went back inside. She noticed her forgotten bowl of cereal from the morning still on the dining table and cleaned it up before going to her room. After she climbed in bed, she focused her super hearing in on her mother and listened while she cried. Lois sounded so helpless as she headed into a downward spiral, and Ellie hated that she could do nothing about it. Their savior was gone. Somehow they were going to have to save themselves.

Ellie fingered the pendant as hot tears rolled down her cheeks, "We need you, Dad."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Chloe stood outside the apartment door, her face buried in her hands. Five minutes ago she had stood in the same exact spot, fist poised and about to pound on the door, when the tears started coming. It was still too soon in her opinion, and the last thing she wanted to do was pretend everything was alright for Lois' and Ellie's sake—especially when she knew it wasn't. However, Chloe also knew her cousin and her niece were probably in worse emotional states than her, and for that she needed to put on a brave face. Sucking in a breath, the blonde pulled herself up to her full height, wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, and knocked on the door.

Ellie lay awake on her bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting. She hadn't slept well at all the night before—she was constantly waking up in a cold sweat after having nightmares about Doomsday—so she decided to just give up on sleep all together. She was faintly aware of a knocking in the distance, and the sound became louder as it slowly pulled her out of her stupor. She began walking toward her vanity to check that her appearance was somewhat decent before turning on her heel and realizing that she really didn't care.

She silently made her way to the front door, grasped the handle, and took a deep breath before yanking it open. Immediately she was ambushed by a small, blonde woman and enveloped in a hug.

"Oh Ellie," the woman whispered, stroking the girl's hair, "I'm so sorry."

"Me too, Aunt Chloe," Ellie returned the hug and suppressed the urge to breakdown in her aunt's affectionate embrace.

Chloe released her hold and held her niece at arms length, studying her face and taking in her disheveled appearance. Ellie looked like hell. She was pale and had dark circles under her eyes. To Chloe she looked fragile; like she could break at any second. The blonde quirked an eyebrow, "Have you eaten at all?"

Ellie shook her head. She hadn't had much of an appetite since everything happened.

"Well then I'm going to make you something. What would you like?"

"I'm really not hungry, Aunt Chloe. You don't have to do anything for me, really. I can fix myself something when I feel like it."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at the girl, "Ellie Kent, I refuse to let you starve. You've been through a lot, and I'm your aunt, so it's my job to take care of you. How about eggs?"

Ellie sighed, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. She smiled weakly, "Sure."

Chloe let a small smile grace her own lips as she headed into the kitchen and started making scrambled eggs. Ellie followed and sat up on the counter. After a few minutes of silence, she tried making conversation, "So how's Uncle Ollie?"

Chloe looked over her shoulder at Ellie for a second before replying, "He's…well, honestly, he's a wreck. But you know him, he refuses to show it. He's been plotting ways to take down Doomsday, and has the League on constant patrol. I don't think any of them have slept since…" She trailed off and looked toward Ellie hesitantly.

Ellie looked at the floor sullenly before meeting her gaze, "How about you?"

"Getting through yesterday was pretty tough. He was my best friend, you know?" Chloe started to tear up a bit, "I miss him, but he would want us to continue protecting humanity. So I've been trying to do my part, checking the computers and such when I can. The kids are pretty shook up, though; they need me to be there for them."

Ellie looked down at her legs, suddenly intrigued by her plaid pants. She was once again overcome with feelings of adoration (this time for her other aunt, as well as her uncle and the other Justice League members) and the want to do something, anything, to help bring down Doomsday. But those feelings were also mixed with a certain hollowness tinged with anger. Chloe's last words had struck a nerve in her. _They need me to be there for them._ Ellie needed her mom to be there for her too. Instead, Lois was locked in her room, smoking and drinking herself into oblivion.

"Eggs are done," Chloe placed two plates on the dining table.

Ellie hopped off the counter and took a seat. She poked the eggs around with her fork before putting some in her mouth and forcing herself to swallow, "Thanks." She still wasn't hungry.

Chloe watched her niece eat for a bit before taking a bite of her own food. The two ate without talking; Ellie avoiding eye contact while Chloe stared at her intently. Eventually, the blonde broke the silence, "Do you think Lois would want some?"

Ellie scoffed at her aunt's words, "Well seeing as she's been filling herself with nothing other than nicotine and alcohol, I guess."

Chloe noticed the hint of spite in the girl's voice and was taken aback by it. She knew her cousin had a close relationship with her daughter, and Ellie loved her parents deeply; she was rarely ever upset or fighting with them. However, Chloe also knew that Lois was terrible at dealing with her emotions, and had a habit of pushing people away. She placed her hand on Ellie's arm, "I'll go talk to her."

Ellie nodded her head once as the petite, blonde woman stood up from the table and disappeared down the hall toward Lois' room. Ellie stopped force feeding herself eggs and placed her forehead in her palms. She heard her aunt knock on her mother's door and say in a raised voice, "Lo, it's Chloe, open the door." There was no response for a few minutes, followed by the faint click of a lock and the sound of the door opening. Chloe slid into the older woman's room and shut the door firmly behind her.

Ellie lifted her head and looked around the small kitchen and dining area for a few moments before standing up and walking into the living room. She sat cross-legged on the couch and stared absent-mindedly at the wall in front of her. Several minutes passed before she decided that she couldn't keep herself from listening in on Lois and Chloe's conversation any longer. She truly cared about her mother, but she hated the state that Lois was currently in and she wanted to know why she was distancing herself from Ellie—especially now, when Ellie needed her the most. Closing her eyes, Ellie filtered out the sounds of her surroundings until only the voices of the two women in the apartment filled her head.

"…that this has been hard on all of us. You were not the only one affected by this! I lost my best friend! The League lost one of their comrades! The world lost an amazing hero!" Chloe's voice was shaky and Ellie could tell she was once again fighting back tears.

"Well I lost my _husband_, Chloe! Do you…do you know how much it hurts me to know that he's gone? I love," Lois paused, her voice hoarse from all the crying she had done, "I…_loved_ him so much. H-he was my world, and without him…without him I feel as though my damn heart has been ripped out of my chest."

The cousins sat in silence until Chloe whispered, "But what about Ellie? Don't you think she feels the same way you do? He was her _father_. She needs you, Lois. You of all people know what it's like to lose a parent at a young age. Isn't losing Clark enough? Does she really need to feel the pain of losing you too? You need to put the booze aside, put the cigarettes down, and go be with her."

Ellie placed her hands on her knees, gripping tightly as she waited for her mother's response. It came in a voice that was barely audible, "I can't."

"Lo, you have to. You're her mother."

"N-no. No, I can't. I can't even look at her," she was sobbing now, "it's too painful. She…she looks just like him, Chloe…just like Clark…a-and I can't handle it. Having her here…she's…Ellie is a constant reminder of him, o-of the life we shared…and s-since he's g-gone it…it hurts…a lot…and it hurts even more to know that…that he not only left me, but he left her too," Lois took in a few deep breaths, "We don't deserve this! Why him? Why now? Ellie is…she's only fifteen, Chloe! This wasn't supposed to happen to him, damn it…not now…not ever. He…he p-promised me that he would always be there for me…for her! What the hell do I do now? How am I supposed to cope?"

"You grieve, and then you accept what has happened," Chloe's words were filled with kindness and sincerity, "As much as we may want to, we can't change the past."

Ellie collapsed onto the couch and started crying as she heard her mother take a drink and light another cigarette despite Chloe's protests. With the older women's conversation rolled around in her head, she couldn't help but feel that this was all her fault—that if she had done something, anything, her father would still be alive and her mother wouldn't be in so much pain. Her aunt's last statement echoed in her mind. Suddenly, Ellie bolted upright, grabbed her necklace, and rubbed her thumb over the grooves of the pendant. Maybe she could prove Aunt Chloe wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I'm sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time! My life got really busy and I honestly forgot about this story. I'm going to try and continue it, but I can't make any promises. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Ellie jumped up from the couch and walked briskly out to the balcony, her mind racing with a plan. What Chloe had said struck a chord in her. _We can't change the past. _Ellie looked down at her necklace. It's true, humans can't change the past. But perhaps Kryptonians can. Looking up into the cloudless sky, Ellie spoke, "Aunt Kara, I need you." As an afterthought she added, "Please." She waited a few seconds before she was greeted with the familiar gust of air.

"Ellie, is everything alright?"

The girl turned to her aunt and noticed the tinge of worry in her eyes, "Yeah, everything is fine. I just…" Ellie trailed off, glancing down at her bare feet. She wasn't exactly sure what she should say, or how she should explain her intentions to the blonde. She didn't even know if her plan was plausible. Closing her eyes, Ellie let out a breath, "Aunt Chloe is here."

Kara quirked an eyebrow, puzzled as to why Ellie called her, "That's good."

"Yeah," Ellie mumbled, mentally scolding herself for evading the topic she wished to discuss. "She's talking to mom right now…and I was…um…listening…"

The blonde's expression softened as she pulled Ellie into a hug, "Oh honey, Lois really isn't herself right now. She just…she doesn't know how to deal with these kinds of things. Don't think for a second that she meant anything she might have said about you. She loves you, Ellie, more than anything," She kissed the top of the girl's head, "So do I."

Ellie allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she was released from Kara's grasp, "I know, Aunt Kara, and thanks," She shook her head, "But that's not why I called you. See, I…um…well, it's actually because of something Aunt Chloe said."

The blonde quirked an eyebrow once again, inquiry evident in her features, "Chloe?"

"Yeah, she…she told mom that she has to accept that dad's…she said we need to move on because we can't change the past." Ellie glanced at her aunt sheepishly, "But I was thinking that maybe…"

"You could?" Kara cut Ellie off, her tone slightly harsh. "You're just a little girl, Ellie, and it's not like you have a time machine. What did you expect to do? Will yourself into yesterday? And what would happen when you got there? You didn't see what I saw firsthand. If the Justice League couldn't stop it, you won't be able to either." Kara turned away as her voice started to waver, the hint of tears starting to present themselves at the corners of her eyes.

Anger flared in Ellie's blue orbs, "No, Aunt Kara, that's not it. Stop treating me like I'm four! I asked for your help because I thought you of all people would understand that something needs to be done."

"Sweetie," Kara's tone softened once again. "I'm sorry, but there's only so much we can do."

The girl clasped her hands together, staring intently at the blonde's back, "I know. That's why I was hoping to enlist some outside help."

"Meaning?"

Ellie looked down at her feet once again, entranced by the chipped purple nail polish on her toes. Hesitantly, she mumbled, "I want you to take me to talk to Jor-El."

The blonde faced her niece once again and was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh and raking her fingers through her curled hair, "What good will that do?"

"He might be able to fix this!" Ellie lifted her head and began speaking with fervor, "You know the different things he's capable of! He's sent dad into the past before, maybe he can hit some sort of reset button that will reverse this whole mess. Aunt Kara, please, we have to at least try."

Kara studied the girl in front of her before looking out at the sky. "Alright," she acquiesced, "Get changed and tell Lois and Chloe you're leaving with me."

Ellie smiled slightly and gave her aunt a hug before running off toward her room. "Thank you!" she called over her shoulder.

Ellie moved about her room in a whirlwind, pulling on jeans, sneakers, and a jacket. As she passed by Lois' room, she debated knocking to let the cousins know where she was going. Deciding against it, she scrawled a quick note and left it on the counter before going back out to the balcony. "All set," Ellie told the Kryptonian waiting for her. With a nod, Kara scooped up the younger girl and flew her off to the Fortress of Solitude.

Ellie usually loved flying. She loved the cool gust of the wind through her long hair and the boost of adrenaline she would receive as she watched the city shrink below her. She loved the erratic rhythm her heart would begin when she first realized how high up she truly was and then the calm that would wash over her as she felt her father's strong arms around her.

This time, flying wasn't the same. The wind tugged harshly at her hair and left a dull roaring in her ears. There was no rush of chemicals to her brain; no increase in blood flow. The arms around her felt weak, breakable. Kara was not her father. Her father was dead. For now.

Kara landed softly in the snow and released Ellie from her grasp. Silently, the two trudged toward the Fortress of Solitude. Ellie vaguely remembered being there before; Clark had taken her to meet her paternal grandfather and share the knowledge of his home planet with her when she was rather young. It had sparkled then; each crystal refracting the sunlight in such a way that made it seem more precious than a diamond. And to her it was. Now the luster was replaced with a dull fog. It appeared as though the fortress itself was in mourning.

Ellie looked around questioningly. She knew he was here, she just didn't know where. She needed to talk to him. She found Kara over in the corner and met her aunt's steady gaze, nodding slightly. Wordlessly, the blonde moved to the center of the structure and began rearranging crystals located in some type of console. When she had finished, she stepped back hesitantly checking the placement before joining Ellie. She placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and cleared her throat before calling out into the silence, "Jor-El?"

There was no answer. Kara dropped her hand from her niece's shoulder and Ellie looked up to the woman by her side expectantly. Kara searched around the fortress with her x-ray vision to see if anything was out of place. When she noticed nothing, she tried again, "Jor-El, we need to speak with you." Grabbing the younger girl's hand she added, "It's about Kal-El."

Ellie clenched her Aunt's fingers in anticipation. She had only spoken to the bodiless voice once before, and it had frightened at such a young age. However, that fear melted into excitement as she learned about her heritage and was bestowed a Kryptonian name by Jor-El. Ellie remembers everything about that day. The whole world seemed to be a new experience when she learned she was special like her dad. Even though she is only half Kryptonian and whether or not she would even gain abilities was unknown, she still couldn't wait to get her powers. She was proud. Proud to be a child of two planets. Her father had been so happy. Everything was different now.

She waited hesitantly for the deep male voice, but still nothing came. Out of desperation she cried out, "Jor-El please! I want to save my father!" Kara made a sudden shift by her side. "Ellie," the blonde whispered, "the crystals are glowing." Ellie directed her gaze toward the control deck on the raised platform in the center of the fortress. Involuntarily, she took a step forward.

"Zara-El, you have returned."

Momentarily stunned by the booming voice, Ellie's hands shot up to her thick hair, twirling the locks around her fingers: a nervous habit. "I…uh," her voice came out in a raspy whisper. Pursing her lips, she tried again, "I need your help."

Seemingly ignoring her statement, Jor-El addressed the room, "Kal-El? Where is my son?"

"That's what we need your help with," Ellie's voice rises, more forceful than before. "My dad is—"

"Kal-El is dead," stoically, the blonde moves to her niece's side once again.

"The last son of Krypton has perished," Jor-El seems to falter as he restates Kara's words. "How did this come to be?"

"Doomsday." The woman's voice was full of venom. Ellie had never heard her aunt speak with such hatred. She placed a comforting hand on Kara's forearm before continuing, "He must have escaped from the Phantom Zone or whatever my father did with him years ago and the monster got his revenge. But I don't want it to end like this. My mother and I need my dad back. The world needs Superman." Ellie fought back the urge to cry, "Please, Jor-El, fix this."

"I cannot undo the events that have occurred, nor can I bring my son back from death."

The tears began to fall. Ellie wiped them away in frustration. "Send me back, then. Send me back to when he fought Doomsday the first time so I can convince him to kill the beast. Then, when I return to the present it'll be like the last battle never happened. I'll have my dad."

"I cannot move you through the fabrics of time and space, Zara-El. There is nothing I can do. You must accept your father's fate."

"Bullshit!" The young girl spat back, enraged. "I know you can send me back. You did it before! You sent dad into the past to save Lana and…and she lived! Why would you let him save her, but you won't let me save him?"

"I did not send Kal-El into the past as far as you wish to go. I reset the Earth's rotation back for one day only. You must remember, my son faced consequences for his decision. Jonathan Kent died in Lana Lang's place. There is nothing I can do to help you."

Nearly defeated, Ellie's shoulders slumped forward as she pleaded, "Is there any other way?"

The disembodied voice remained silent. Wiping the fresh tears from her cheeks, Ellie shook her head and walked over to the console. Kara watched as the girl lifted a trembling hand to remove the crystals from their current placement.

"Perhaps," Jor-El halted Ellie's movements, her fingertips poised on the point of a crystal. "Perhaps you should pursue the same methods the human, Lois Lane, used to enter the future."

Dropping her hand to her side, Ellie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "W-What do you mean, 'enter the future'? My mom time traveled?"

"Seek counsel from Lois Lane."

Ellie's gaze snapped over to her aunt as she cocked her head to the side, "Do you know what he's talking about?"

The blonde clasped her hands together, "Well, I remember Kal-El telling me about a time when Lois disappeared for months, only to return with strange flashes of memories. He had said she accidentally went into the future."

Ellie sped over to the woman, gripping both of her shoulders. "How, Aunt Kara? How did she do it?"

Kara let out a small sigh, "I suppose she used Kal-El's Legion Ring. I don't really know how it works, your father never bothered to teach me. He only said that it was extremely dangerous if ever in the wrong hands."

"Do you know where it is?"

"No, I do not." The blonde's voice fell, "He claimed it would be safer if the Justice League didn't know where he hid it."

A spark ignited within Ellie's blue orbs. Hope. A small smirk graced her features, "Maybe he didn't tell the JLA, but I know one person he always tells his secrets to."

At Kara's incredulous look, Ellie's grin only widened. She motioned for the Kryptonian to pick her up, "Take me home, please."


End file.
